Representatives of leading sectors of the Bulgarian economy (ICT, biotechnology, machinery, etc.), inventors and intermediaries, together with experts from the Bulgarian SME Promotion Agency, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economy, discussed the most serious challenges in the work of the National Innovation Fund. The Stakeholder groups workshop was part of the European ESSPO initiative, aiming to improve the public support for the innovative business and its interaction with research organizations. A number of explicit measures were proposed aimed at ensuring better transparency, sustainability and efficiency in the Fund’s work. Despite the existing difficulties, all participants in the discussion agreed about the important role of the National Innovation Fund within the common portfolio of national financial instruments, and the necessity of its further leveraging. ARC Fund, working on the European ESSPO initiative, will summarise all recommendations and present them to the Agency.
